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Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

I loved going to MSA and have many more great memories of games and concerts (<----see avatar) played there than at Conseco, but Conseco is a much better place to attend a game.

The first MSA picture in the thread shows one of the biggest problems. Look at all of the seats between entrances. When the game was over, it took forever to get out. The concourse was so small you could barely move through it.

One of the pluses was that for many years you could get a $5 ticket and sit anywhere in the arena.

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

I like each for different reasons, but overall I'd pick The Fieldhouse.

MSA was louder - I've never been anyplace louder than Game #4 of the 1991 playoffs.

But MSA was a hockey arena. Okay, they technically called it a multipurpose arena but the sightlines were terrible for basketball.

My seats at MSA would have equated to the last row of the lower bowl at Conseco. My balcony seats are Conseco are closer to the court than my seats at MSA. Yes, I'm "higher", but much closer.

I really loved MSA until the first game I went to in The Palace. Then I was ready to start tearing MSA down with my own hands.

I remember reading somebody once say, "we knew that place [MSA] was a fire hazard from day one." I've got great memories, but I don't miss it.

*EDIT - Holy crap, is that Stipanovich holding the ball? Wow! *

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

Conseco is the best in basketball.

I agree with UB about memories being better than the reality.
But I will say this, I was coverning an ABA playoff between
San Antonio and Indiana during the Dancing Harry and "Long
Tall Glasses" days. It was the loudest I have EVER heard an
arena. It was like a tidal wave of sound coming down to press
row. Many years ago but still remember it it vividly.

The best exercise of the human heart is reaching down and picking someone else up.

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

I would pick Conseco without any thought at all. Just look at how beautiful and modern Conseco looks in those pictures compared to MSA. Don't you like having video monitors on the center scoreboard instead of having them stuck in the corners? Conseco, with its glass walls is just fabulous looking. MSA had to go, unless we wanted to eventually lose the Pacers. I'm 16, and attended my first Pacers games at MSA. I have some great memories there. I know MSA was loud, but that was in the playoff games. Think of the years they used to have to hang a curtain because basically no one was going to the games. I'm sure MSA could get pretty boring during the regular season, even when the Pacers were a top team. Fans just aren't going to be as rowdy as they are in the playoffs. I think Conseco looked pretty rowdy during the Finals run in 2000. All of the fans were on their feet for practically the whole time, the place seemed crazy, just as crazy as a Market Square playoff game looked.

My favorite Market Square Arena memory has to be my second Pacers game ever on December 10, 1995, when Rik Smits scored a career high 44 points. I remember driving under MSA, I thought that was pretty cool. That was weird that the building was 3 floors above Market Street.

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

-snip- during the Dancing Harry and "Long
Tall Glasses" days. It was the loudest I have EVER heard an
arena. It was like a tidal wave of sound coming down to press
row. Many years ago but still remember it it vividly.

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

I like Conseco better by a mile. While I'll give you the fact MSA was louder I think part of the problem is fans don't cheer like they used to.

I don't really have any great memories of MSA because they're overshadowed by:

1. no working esculators outside for how many years? I never had the time to wait for the elevator that might be working and might not be full.
2. spending all of half time and maybe some of the second half waiting in line to buy a drink.
3. waiting in line to use the restroom. (I've only had to wait 3 times since Conseco opened.
4. the thought of having to go back to those cramped seats with no cup holder?

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

The one and only thing I miss about MSA was the old stat boards. Call me crazy, but it was so much easier to read when you knew white was player's #, yellow was points, blue was rebounds, green was assists, and red was fouls.

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

I doubt many really liked MSA better. They just liked the FANS that were attending MSA better.

With the move to Conseco, Pacers marketing targeted corporate ticket sales as the quickest means to sell out the expensive seats and the suites. As a result, a far greater percentage of corporate folks sit near the lower seats at Conseco than at MSA. And I think that a greater percentage of the crowd as a whole are corporate folks.

All in all, I think this contributes to less fan noise being made at Conseco than at MSA. But I do think that the acoustics of the buildings themselves play a part, too.

But as far as access to the building goes, it's a lot nicer to walk directly into the building, then progess up escalators, stairs or elevators than it was at MSA to walk up those damn ramps in the freezing cold, then to enter the building at the level where your seats were.

From a fan comfort or food perspective, or even just from merely the perspective of watching a game, there absolutely is no comparision. Conseco wins hands down.

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

The one and only thing I miss about MSA was the old stat boards. Call me crazy, but it was so much easier to read when you knew white was player's #, yellow was points, blue was rebounds, green was assists, and red was fouls.

God damn I miss that thing. :

I agree with you.

But what about the horrible replay screens they had, you could not see a thing, I mean nothing.

All told, I prefer (drumroll please), MSA. Reason, crowd was into it. Less corporate stiffs close to the game sitting on their hands having a business conversation. People were at the game to WATCH the game and cheer. I always remember the entire lower level (and most of upper level) up cheering in the fourth quarter for almost every posession when the game is on the line. Now, people just sit on their hands and don't even cheer loud (maybe it's the acoustics but they don't even stand up). The Pacers had a definite home court advantage. I miss that. It's all about winning, baby!

Two=the number 2
Too=means "also"
To=many definitions-also known as the one to use when the other 2 (two, too) do not apply.

Their=shows ownership-'it is their house'
They're=they are
There=many definitions-also known as the one to use when the other 2 (their, they're) do not apply

Sorry but it bugs me when these are used incorrectly when I read posts on PacersDigest.com.

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

All told, I prefer (drumroll please), MSA. Reason, crowd was into it. Less corporate stiffs close to the game sitting on their hands having a business conversation. People were at the game to WATCH the game and cheer. I always remember the entire lower level (and most of upper level) up cheering in the fourth quarter for almost every posession when the game is on the line. Now, people just sit on their hands and don't even cheer loud (maybe it's the acoustics but they don't even stand up). The Pacers had a definite home court advantage. I miss that. It's all about winning, baby!

Estoy de acuerdo!

(For you non spanish speakers- "I agree.")

I can't stand some of these people going to games. I want to scream at the people in front of me "Why do you even come to the game if you don't clap, talk, or stand up, for EITHER team???" I swear, if I weren't so in control of myself, I would probably beat up half the fans in the stadium. That said, I love Conseco, pero yo prefiero MSA. (but I prefer MSA)

Re: [OT] Market Square or Conseco?

The one and only thing I miss about MSA was the old stat boards. Call me crazy, but it was so much easier to read when you knew white was player's #, yellow was points, blue was rebounds, green was assists, and red was fouls.

God damn I miss that thing. :

I agree with you.

But what about the horrible replay screens they had, you could not see a thing, I mean nothing.

The replay sreeens now are nice

True, true. I never could make out anything on those old screens.

I thought of another thing I miss. The Pacemates actually sitting on the baseline.